BertramWilberforceWooster

I attended a free showing tonight at a friend's church. I already had low expectations for this film, but even those were too high, apparently. This film is more than Right Wing Propaganda. This is a film so forced, it leaves any rational person scratching their heads. The whole film reads like an aborted subplot from the Left Behind series (and I admit I have read all 12 of the core series, even though I thought those seemed forced at times). None of the characters in this are at all relatable except to Christians who believe they are being persecuted by "The Liberal Media" in the United States.

Just perusing the cast list, however, it should be obvious to anyone this is steeped in Hard Right bias (Fred Dalton Thompson and Gretchen Carlson are listed among the cast).

If you want a film about people fleeing from persecution, watch Rambo. If you want a Right Wing film, I'd suggest Atlas Shrugged. But if you want a movie that is horribly plotted, horribly acted, and makes zero sense, this is the movie for you.

A Lost Effort

It had a lot of potential, but failed to keep a consistent tone. It reminds me of the original Children of the Corn, but without any real suspense. The cast is competent, the dialogue is believable, and the effects kept to a minimum so it does not overburden the tale. If the right director were involved, this could have been an amazing film. Instead, it just comes off as a really $5 bargain bin movie.

Hopefully in a few years, when the director matures, he will revisit this film and make it again. It would be an interesting contrast to see the difference experience makes.

The First time I can remember ever seeing Anton Yelchin was in the film adaptation of Hearts in Atlantis (based on the first and last stories in the book). His next major appearance was in the miniseries Taken. In 2009, he appeared as Pavel Checkov in the sequel/prequel/reboot of Star Trek. In between, and since, he has had a variety of roles. When I first learned he was cast as Odd Thomas in the film of the same name, I was curious. Could he pull off the role. More importantly, could the supporting cast (Willem Dafoe plays Chief Porter, Addison Timlin plays Stormy) flesh out their characters? I am happy to report that they all did fantastic. All of the major characters from the book are there, except for Elvis whose sole appearance is relegated to a cardboard cutout.

For those of you who do not know the story of Odd, it is based on a 2003 book by Dean Koontz. Odd Thomas is a 20ish person living in a small desert town. He has a gift to see dead people. Unlike Sixth Sense, ghosts seem to know they are dead. For one reason or another, some have chosen not to pass on (Arnold Vosloo plays a character who spends his afterlife at a tire shop trying to make those who can see him laugh by picking his nose with his severed arm while others have actual unfinished business).

The main story focuses on Odd trying to prevent a large-scale attack on the town in which he resides. He learns of the upcoming attack through his encounter with the character Fungus Bob. After seeing creatures that Odd has labeled Bodachs, he realizes that Bob is planning something big. Enlisting the help of the local police and his girlfriend, he does his very best to figure what the clues point toward.

Unlike many adaptations of Koontz's work (Watchers and Hideaway come to mind), this follows the story quite well. It condenses some action (sorry, no exploding cow) and focuses on the plot of Fungus Bob. The laughs, suspense, and heartache are all there. This is a definite must for anyone who enjoyed the book or is just looking for a fun time.